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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28880268">Tangled Bedsheets</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemgirl28/pseuds/gemgirl28'>gemgirl28</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Breakfast in Bed, F/M, Fluff, I Won't Say I'm In Love, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, at least out loud, for the youses of ZDAS, lots of fluff, love confession without the word love, no i love you challenge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:48:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,492</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28880268</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemgirl28/pseuds/gemgirl28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One quiet morning, Katara and Zuko discover the answers they never knew they were looking for.</p><p>My humble contribution to the "No I love you" challenge.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The No "I Love You" Challenge</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tangled Bedsheets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The incredible <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionIsSocialInquiry/pseuds/FictionIsSocialInquiry">FictionIsSocialInquiry</a> came up with the "no I love you" challenge and provided a list of suggested prompts. I fell in love with the tangled bedsheets, and by some miracle didn't write smut! But honestly, I just really love the idea of Zuko and Katara falling in love not over some grand romantic gesture, but in the middle of a simple moment, because that's how love works for most of us, right?</p><p>Anyways thanks to the incredible <a href="https://hereforthezutarastuff.tumblr.com/">hereforthezutarastuff</a> for beta-reading!! &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko spent his whole life searching for answers he would never find.</p><p>
  <em>Why did my mom disappear?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why did Lu Ten have to die?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why doesn’t my father love me?</em>
</p><p>Yet he never allowed himself to consider the question something inside him begged to have answered. That is, until he met Katara.</p><p>It was almost funny, looking back, since they hated each other in the beginning. His anger consumed him, still fighting in vain for his father’s approval. She had a rigid moral compass, one that did not allow for mistakes, especially when it came to the people she loved.</p><p>After her, Zuko realized he did not need, nor want his father’s twisted brand of affection. He apologized for his mistakes, working overtime to gain Katara’s trust. When she forgave him, they became incredibly close, turning to each other first for anything and everything.</p><p>Somewhere along the lines, his feelings shifted from affectionately friendly to romantic. Finally, after months of pining, he awkwardly blurted his feelings for her out during a late-night conversation. To his incredible shock, she confessed she felt the same.</p><p>Every day since that awkward call, Zuko found it harder to remember what it was like without Katara. Everything from the way she fit in his arms, to the way she made herself comfortable in his apartment, made it glaringly obvious that this was how it was always supposed to be.</p><p>Zuko always woke up before her, and this morning he decided to do something special. She worked so hard, the least he could do was make her a nice breakfast for when she woke up.</p><p>He would never admit it, but after she confessed her favorite breakfast food he visited his Uncle Iroh to perfect his pancake making. He carefully watched anytime she made coffee, ensuring he would never forget the absurd amount of creamer and sugar she added. He even went so far as to purchase a serving tray, knowing how hard it was to pull Katara out of bed in the morning.</p><p>He didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back he could see how everything he did was tinted now, colored with the lens of someone who no longer thought solely of themselves when making choices. Everything he did for Katara settled a piece of him that had been churning his whole life.</p><p>Zuko carefully stacked the plate of pancakes and arranged the silverware and coffee. He carried it at a painstakingly slow pace to the bedroom, afraid to accidentally trip.</p><p>Luckily, he made it to the bedroom without incident and lowered the tray to the floor. He sat on the edge of the bed, mentally steeling himself for waking her up.</p><p>Zuko’s breath hitched as he watched Katara sleep. Her long chocolate hair was spread across his pillows like a halo, and the slants of lights from the blinds cast lines across her face. The normal creases of worry she wore smoothed away as she slept. One of her hands rested by her head, the other thrown across his side of the bed.</p><p>Zuko had never seen her so at peace. His heart stopped, and in the moment before it restarted his soul screamed the question he had ignored for so long.</p><p>
  <em>Who will look past the scars of your past to see the man you truly are?</em>
</p><p>Memories flashed through his mind, visions of Katara dancing before his eyes: The way her whole face lit up when she laughed, the musical sound of her laughter. The way she held him when he cried, nothing but compassion in her arms. The way she saw him, saw through him, with her piercing, beautiful blue eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Who will look past the scars of your past?</em>
</p><p>“Katara,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. He cleared his throat before trying a little clearer. “Katara, wake up.”</p><p>Katara shifted and mumbled incoherently into the pillow.</p><p>“What was that?” Zuko asked a little louder, reaching up to gently hold the hand by her head.</p><p>“Five more minutes,” she muttered, and Zuko chuckled. He could let her rest for few minutes while he made a plate for himself.</p><p>After all, his soul was satisfied. <em>Who will see the man you truly are?</em></p><p>
  <em>Katara, of course.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>Katara did not understand she was trying to answer a question until the moment she found her answer.</p><p>Looking back she could identify the moments when the question presented itself in the aching of her heart. She always chalked it up to grief, since she carried enough grief to last ten lifetimes. Grief for the loss of her mother. Grief for the loss of her childhood when she had to take on her mother’s duties. Grief for the loss of her father when he had to travel for work just to make ends meet.</p><p>But now she could clearly distinguish the bone-aching grief from the heart-aching question.</p><p>The answer came to her in small pieces, then all at once. The gentle brush of his hand against her back, conversations that lasted hours past both their bedtimes, a soft smile saved just for her hinted at the truth. Weeks of shy flirting led to awkward confessions. At last, he <em>finally </em>asked her on a date.</p><p>Four months later, she woke up to the press of warm lips against her forehead.</p><p>“Good morning, beautiful,” a low and husky voice whispered. Katara shifted against the pillows, fighting to stay asleep, and mumbled, “Five more minutes.”</p><p>He chuckled and kissed her again, trailing kisses across her face. “That’s what you said five minutes ago.”</p><p>Katara begrudgingly opened one eye, surveying the man who dared disturb her precious beauty sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed beside her, carefully leaning over to brush a strand of hair out of her face. He looked impossibly handsome in his t-shirt and sweatpants, and his golden eyes twinkled with amusement. Katara did her best to ignore the flutter in her stomach as she unconsciously shifted closer to his heat.</p><p>“What time is it?” Katara asked in between a yawn.</p><p>“Almost 10:30,” Zuko answered. Katara groaned and closed her eye, attempting to bury herself deeper into the covers.</p><p>“I made pancakes,” he practically sang. Katara stilled, the comforter obscuring her face so he couldn’t see the excited smile spreading across her features.</p><p>“What kind?” she hesitantly asked.</p><p>“Chocolate chip, of course,” he answered. <em>Your favorite </em>he seemed to whisper.</p><p>Katara slowly drew the covers back from her face. “And coffee?”</p><p>Zuko had the audacity to snort. Katara glared at him until he schooled his features into something relatively neutral. “Yes. With creamer and sugar.”</p><p>“Ok,” she gave in, dragging herself out from the covers to sit up. “But can we do breakfast in bed?”</p><p>Zuko smirked before leaning down to pick a tray off the floor.</p><p>“Room service costs extra,” he joked, gently placing the tray in her lap. Katara blinked, her gaze slowly moving from the tray laden with food to the man beside her and back again. He had prepared a stack of pancakes that even Sokka might have trouble finishing and had somehow figured out the ratio of creamer to coffee she preferred, a light mocha savior in the morning. She slowly lifted the mug to her lips, taking a tiny sip to confirm that he had added just the right amount of sugar as well.</p><p>Katara set the coffee on the tray and looked back up at Zuko, her mind reeling as her heart thrummed faster and faster. She watched as Zuko flushed, a lovely pink dusting his cheeks. Strands of his tousled hair kept falling in his face, but with a jerk of his head it moved out of his eyes.</p><p>The song of her heart screamed out the unspoken question on repeat. An answer finally hit her, knocking the air from her lungs, and stopping her heart for just a moment. In the space between the beats, Katara found a sense of peace she never realized was missing.</p><p>After her functions restarted and she found she could breathe again, Katara realized she had been staring for too long and cleared her throat.</p><p>“Whatever the cost, I’m sure I’ll find some way to pay it back,” she teased, struggling to make it sound like their usual easy banter. She flashed him what she hoped was a wicked grin and winked before digging into the stack of pancakes. She swallowed thickly, praying he could not hear the pounding of her heart.</p><p>It was almost silly, she reflected, to realize something so profound in such a simple moment. Here they were, trading jokes over a plate of pancakes, and her spirit was singing with joy. Her legs were tangled in his bedsheets, her hair probably looked more like a rat’s nest than anything else. Still, Katara found something she never knew she was looking for.</p><p>The question: <em>With whom does my soul belong?</em></p><p>The answer: <em>With Zuko.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Any feedback is super appreciated!! And come say hi on tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/gemgirl28">gemgirl28 </a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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